Postgraduate Course: Systems Thinking, Systems Practice (MSc) (PGEE11207)
Course Outline
| School | School of Engineering |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 10 |
ECTS Credits | 5 |
| Summary | Systems Thinking is a way of thinking used to address complex and uncertain real-world problems. It recognises that the world is a set of highly interconnected technical and social entities which are hierarchically organised, producing emergent behaviour.
The idea of a system as 'a set of parts which, when combined, have qualities that are not present in any of the parts themselves' is a very productive way of looking at the world - which turns out to be full of systems. Large engineering programmes are nearly always complex systems which include, for example, people, processes, information, organisations and services, as well as software, hardware and complex products. In order to understand and control these programmes it is essential that a systems approach is taken to ensure that all aspects are understood, and their interactions are optimised to ensure successful delivery.
A characteristic of complex systems (such as large engineering programmes that are embedded with political and social interactions) is that of 'emergence'. Emergent behaviour arises when system elements interact with each other and their environment, and indeed only exist when the components of a system are able to interact. Emergence brings with it the risk of unintended consequences - a major cause of embarrassing system and project failures - but it is also possible for skilled systems engineers to create higher value for less cost by using emergence to deliver desired system qualities.
The course will build on this Systems Thinking to show how the techniques of Systems Engineering can be used within large programmes, and where the limitations of traditional methods become apparent and new data-driven approaches are needed.
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| Course description |
In common with the wider MSc in Leading Major Programmes, the course will be delivered in a single semester, with two 1.5-day engagements covering each of two main subjects: Systems Thinking and Systems Practice.
The following details the questions and topics that these two subjects will cover:
Systems Thinking:
- What are the differences between large projects and large programmes?
- What is a system? Systems Thinking
- Why big projects go wrong? How systems engineering can help?
- Complex and Complicated systems: what is the difference and how should each be approached?
- Emergent Behaviour of Complex Systems and Unintended Consequences
Systems Practice:
- The tools of systems engineering
- Is the classical systems engineering model relevant in today's digital environment?
- Case studies from external lecturers: Big Projects: Successes and Failures
Summative assessment for this course will be conducted through two types of coursework:
- Team: Students work in teams of 3 or 4 to analyse an existing programme and evaluate the options to apply systems engineering techniques.
- Individual: Based on personal experience as project managers, the students carry out systems partitioning exercise and carry out risk analysis for two programme and systems management options.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2021/22, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
100
(
Lecture Hours 14,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 4,
Online Activities 2,
Feedback/Feedforward Hours 2,
Summative Assessment Hours 25,
Other Study Hours 51,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
0 )
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| Additional Information (Learning and Teaching) |
Other study hours
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Written Exam %: 0
Practical Exam %: 0
Coursework %: 100
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| Feedback |
Feedback will be provided in three ways:
- On the online forum before and after the on-campus block.
- The course will be delivered in short block mode with lectures intertwined with tutorials/workshops. This will allow for a two-way dialogue between students and course tutors to allow judgement on course material understanding.
- Formal written feedback will be provided after the submission of the coursework exercise
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| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Developed systems thinking to enable him/her to take a rational approach to management of large and complex programmes;
- Understood the implications of emergent properties of systems, and how this may have both beneficial and adverse consequences;
- Learnt lessons about how large and complex projects and programmes can go wrong and what can be done through systems thinking to avoid cost and time over-runs and failure to meet objectives;
- Examined how the techniques of systems engineering can contribute to the successful delivery of large and complex programmes;
- Demonstrated how to make the appropriate choice of systems engineering tools tailored to the characteristics of the programme.
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Reading List
Completion of this course will require significant private study: reading from the book list below and others, as well as extensive web-based study.
Essential:
- Donella Meadows, Diana Wright (2017) Thinking in Systems: a Primer Chelsea Green Publishing Co.
- John Gall (2003) The Systems Bible: The Beginner's Guide to Systems Large and Small General Systemantics Press
- Robert Cloutier, Clifton Baldwin, Mary Alice Bone (2015) Systems Engineering Simplified CRC Press
- James Martin (1996) Systems Engineering Guidebook: A Process for Developing Systems and Products CRC Press
Additional:
- Peter Seng (2007) The Fifth Discipline: The art and practice of the learning organization Random House Business
- Geoffrey West (2017) Scale: The Universal Laws of Life and Death in Organisms, Cities and Companies W&N
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Programme Management,Systems Thinking,Complexity,Systems Engineering,Emergent Properties |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Simon Smith
Tel: (0131 6)50 7159
Email: Simon.Smith@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Margaret Robertson
Tel: (0131 6)50 5565
Email: margaret.robertson@ed.ac.uk |
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